iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Meenakshi Wadhwa @minwadhwa.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Wonderful visit to @whoi.edu — met some remarkable people, and saw some amazing tech. Institutions like WHOI and @scrippsocean.bsky.social have long stood at the frontier of understanding our ocean, and now that work matters more than ever. 🌊

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Meenakshi Wadhwa @minwadhwa.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Another incredible day in #NYC celebrating the launch of #OceanEye at United Nations presided by EC President Ursula von der Leyen and Canadian PM Mark Carney; and connecting with our @scrippsocean.bsky.social colleagues, friends, and alumni at a Science-to-Solutions panel discussion!

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Meenakshi Wadhwa @minwadhwa.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

In NYC for #ClimateWeek representing Scripps Instn. of Oceanography UC San Diego / UCSD, and participating for the first time in a dialogue at the United Nations. Soaking in the amazing energy here in a room full of people committed to the health of our planet.🌎

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Meenakshi Wadhwa @minwadhwa.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Welcome to our incoming graduate students @scrippsocean.bsky.social! Inspired by this next generation of future leaders who will help to shape the future of our planet. The environmental & public health challenges we face are tremendous but seeing these bright and enthusiastic faces gives me hope.

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Meenakshi Wadhwa @minwadhwa.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

Last week was my first time aboard R/V Roger Revelle, named for the legendary Scripps Oceanography scientist who warned the world about the link between CO2 and a warming planet. This ship has carried scientists across the globe for three decades to advance understanding of the ocean and our planet.

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National Academy of Sciences @nasonline.org · 30/06/2026

Asteroids aren't just space hazards. They're the leftover scraps from building the planets. 🌌 In a Q&A for #AsteroidDay, #NASmember Meenakshi Wadhwa (@minwadhwa.bsky.social) broke down stardust, planet-building, and what asteroid samples reveal about our origins: nasonline.org/news/a-conve...

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Scripps Institution of Oceanography @scrippsocean.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

Why is #space so fascinating? 🪐🤩 Scripps Director @minwadhwa.bsky.social shares her thoughts with @ucsandiego.bsky.social. ✨ "As I see it, space exploration isn’t about escaping from Earth. It’s one of the most powerful tools we have for understanding and benefiting our home planet," she said.

today.ucsd.edu

Why Is Space So Fascinating?

We all tuned in when the Artemis II crew splashed down off the San Diego coast. Planetary scientist and academic leader Meenakshi Wadhwa shares her thoughts on why space captures our imaginations so w...

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Scripps Institution of Oceanography @scrippsocean.bsky.social · 18/05/2026

🎤 Get to know @minwadhwa.bsky.social, director of Scripps Oceanography at @ucsandiego.bsky.social! She sat down with @nbcsandiego.com to chat about why she loves science, innovative Scripps research & more as part of their People You Should Know series. ⤵️ www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLYIzrBSCyc

youtube.com

People You Should Know: Dr. Meenakshi Wadhwa and the Mission to Protect Our Planet | NBC 7 San Diego

YouTube video by NBC 7 San Diego

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Meenakshi Wadhwa @minwadhwa.bsky.social · 24/04/2026

🪸 Congratulations to Dr. Daniel Wangpraseurt on receiving the UC San Diego Chancellor’s Faculty Innovation Award! What Daniel and his team are doing is nothing short of remarkable: developing scalable solutions for one of the planet’s most urgent ecological crises. Learn more at: hybridreefs.com

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Meenakshi Wadhwa @minwadhwa.bsky.social · 08/04/2026

6 months since I arrived at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and I can honestly say that on most days there have been moments like this one, filled with awe and absolute wonder! What you are seeing here is a baby red octopus at Birch Aquarium… first time hatched, raised & settled in an aquarium!

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Meenakshi Wadhwa @minwadhwa.bsky.social · 03/04/2026

The launch of Artemis 2 was profoundly moving… to see humanity go FORWARD to the Moon again after more than 50 yrs! I hope another generation is inspired to go explore and discover and innovate, to be the best that humans can be — and ultimately be inspired to be better stewards of our own planet.

I am sitting with students, postdocs, staff and faculty in front of a giant screen at Scripps Oceanography watching the launch of Artemis 2.

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Meenakshi Wadhwa @minwadhwa.bsky.social · 02/04/2026

It was an honor to welcome UC Regent Maria Anguiano to our @scrippsocean.bsky.social campus where she saw the incredible work being done here, including the impactful work at the Tijuana river, robotic exploration of the ocean, and AI-driven visualization of coral reefs for conservation efforts.

Me and Maria standing next to each other on the campus of Scripps Oceanography, with the beautiful backdrop of the ocean, Scripps Pier, and the La Jolla cove.

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Meenakshi Wadhwa @minwadhwa.bsky.social · 14/03/2026

Incredible couple of days in Sacramento meeting with our CA representatives. Hope to strengthen @scrippsocean.bsky.social partnerships to increase our coastal, water, and wildfire resilience and to support the health and wellbeing of communities in our great state of California (and the planet!).

Me in front of the state capitol in Sacramento, CA

With CA Senator Blakespear in her office

With CA Assembly member Tasha Boerner in her office

With CA Assembly Member Steve Bennett in his office

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Meenakshi Wadhwa @minwadhwa.bsky.social · 22/02/2026

So #OSM26 in Glasgow is off to a great start with a fantastic plenary talk by Britney Schmidt— Icefin is so cool! Makes me wish for the day we will have such a robotic oceanographer in the ocean on Europa.

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Meenakshi Wadhwa @minwadhwa.bsky.social · 20/02/2026

We are looking for innovative and broad-thinking faculty colleagues to join us in understanding and protecting our planet! (And stay tuned for more faculty opportunities to come in the near future…) apol-recruit.ucsd.edu/JPF04460

apol-recruit.ucsd.edu

Marine Natural Products/Marine Biotechnology - Assistant Professor

University of California, San Diego is hiring. Apply now!

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Meenakshi Wadhwa @minwadhwa.bsky.social · 06/02/2026

Congratulations to @helen-amanda.bsky.social and her team for the selection of the EDGE mission as @ucsandiego.bsky.social’s first PI-led NASA mission! today.ucsd.edu/story/uc-san...

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Meenakshi Wadhwa @minwadhwa.bsky.social · 30/01/2026

Congratulations to Scripps Institution of Oceanography’s Prof. Veerabhadran Ramanathan! I got to know Ram after arriving at Scripps (unfortunately do not overlap with him at U Chicago), and just love how he is still so energized and motivated by his science.

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Meenakshi Wadhwa @minwadhwa.bsky.social · 29/01/2026

Is that lumpfish the cutest thing you ever saw?! Got to shake hands with an octopus (I know I’ll be visiting him frequently!) and see some incredible things at our experimental aquarium facilities — just another day here @scrippsocean.bsky.social

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Meenakshi Wadhwa @minwadhwa.bsky.social · 23/01/2026

Heading home after a few days in Davos. Grateful for the opportunity to talk about the ocean, climate and sustainability, space and exploration with leaders from so many different sectors.

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Meenakshi Wadhwa @minwadhwa.bsky.social · 09/01/2026

Today marks exactly 100 days since I joined @scrippsocean.bsky.social @ucsandiego.bsky.social. It felt like a bit of a celebration to walk on Scripps’ campus today and feel moved by all the incredible science-inspired art works that are like little gems tucked in unexpected places!

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Meenakshi Wadhwa @minwadhwa.bsky.social · 06/01/2026

First sunset from my office @scrippsocean.bsky.social @ucsandiego.bsky.social at the start of Winter Quarter. Here’s to a year of chasing new and amazing discoveries just beyond the horizon and finding magic in everyday moments. Happy New Year!

Sunset view of a beach in La Jolla, California, with orange hues reflected in the water and a row of clouds near the horizon.

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Meenakshi Wadhwa @minwadhwa.bsky.social · 14/12/2025

This week’s absolute highlight was a tour of @scrippsocean.bsky.social’s RV Sally Ride - with @astrodocscott.bsky.social who operated Sally Ride’s KidSat payload on STS-86. This research vessel is a scientific & technological marvel, enabling tremendous ocean & seafloor measurements and sampling!

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Meenakshi Wadhwa @minwadhwa.bsky.social · 07/12/2025

Spotted Santa delivering presents underwater @birchaquarium.bsky.social yesterday. Happy holidays from @scrippsocean.bsky.social!

View of the Scripps Pier at dusk, with festive lights along the length of the pier.

Me and my husband standing on either side of seated Santa in front of an image of Scripps Pier at the Birch Aquarium.

Santa diving in a tank with kelp at the Birch Aquarium.

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Meenakshi Wadhwa @minwadhwa.bsky.social · 02/11/2025

Halloween celebrations @scrippsocean.bsky.social — ghosts, cool canines and a new variety of dogfish!

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Meenakshi Wadhwa @minwadhwa.bsky.social · 20/10/2025

My first 3 weeks on the job at @scrippsocean.bsky.social @ucsandiego.bsky.social have flown by - learning about the amazing people who work here (including those pictured here from our world-class scientific diving program and ship operations) and the amazing things that we do here.

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Meenakshi Wadhwa @minwadhwa.bsky.social · 09/10/2025

I think I met my first native San Diegan today @birchaquarium.bsky.social … a gorgeous rosy boa! Also met Rusty, a handsome bearded dragon. Birch is a truly magical place.

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Reposted by Meenakshi Wadhwa

Scripps Institution of Oceanography @scrippsocean.bsky.social · 03/10/2025

#ICYMI, we shared some big news this week! 🎉 Scripps Institution of Oceanography at @ucsandiego.bsky.social is proud to welcome esteemed Earth and planetary scientist Meenakshi Wadhwa as the 12th director of our institution. 🪐 Hear directly from Dr. Wadhwa in this video: youtu.be/lbFLXM6BBbI?...

youtu.be

Introducing Meenakshi Wadhwa, Director of Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego

YouTube video by Scripps Oceanography

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Meenakshi Wadhwa @minwadhwa.bsky.social · 02/10/2025

So excited to be here to serve the @scrippsocean.bsky.social community, and advance our mission to understand and protect our planet!

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Meenakshi Wadhwa @minwadhwa.bsky.social · 11/09/2025

Tantalizing— but needs confirmation through careful analyses in laboratories in Earth. This is why we must bring back the samples that Perseverance has so carefully documented and collected!

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Meenakshi Wadhwa @minwadhwa.bsky.social · 09/09/2025

Dubai at night… including amazing views of and from the top of Burj Khalifa!

View looking up from the base of Burj Khalifa

View from the top of Burj Khalifa of Dubai at night, tall buildings and city lights

View of the very futuristic oval-shaped Museum of the Future at night.

View of the “human waterfall” in the Dubai Mall.

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Meenakshi Wadhwa @minwadhwa.bsky.social · 30/08/2025

Snapshots from a memorable penultimate week in AZ… (picture of the Haboob courtesy of @astrodocscott.bsky.social & that of the gorgeous cake thanks to Kim Baptista)!

A monstrously huge dust storm behind a building, with a pool in the foreground.

Picture of me (on left) and my husband (on right), with Pinnacle Peak (North Scottsdale) in the background on left side.

Beautiful flower arrangement (orange roses, pink tulips, eucalyptus leaves…) on desk in my office. Windows in the background look towards the Superstition Mountains.

A large rectangular sheet cake depicting a sunset view (yellow-orange skies) on a beach — ocean and waves on the right, sand & a plan tree & orange flowers on left.

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Meenakshi Wadhwa @minwadhwa.bsky.social · 29/08/2025

Yesterday I had the opportunity to thank my long-time AZ friends and colleagues @seseasu.bsky.social for the many wonderful years of camaraderie, collaborations, and friendship I’ve enjoyed here. Definitely one of my best career and life decisions to come here 19+ years ago!

Me cutting a beautiful cake decorated with an ocean and sunset, with a party in the backdrop.

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Daniel Pomarède @pomarede.bsky.social · 23/08/2025

SPHEREx Discovers Extended Carbon Dioxide Coma in Interstellar Object 3I-ATLAS spherex.caltech.edu/news/3i-atla... #SPHEREx #3IATLAS 🧪🔭

SPHEREx discovered a bright CO2 coma (the extended gaseous atmosphere of a comet) surrounding 3I/ATLAS. It extends out to at least 348,000 km. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech.

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Meenakshi Wadhwa @minwadhwa.bsky.social · 23/08/2025

Surprised and delighted to come across this earlier this week… art transforms the mundane into magic and proves that delight can often hide in plain sight. #FallenStar

Three views of a work of art called “Fallen Star” on the campus of UCSD by artist Do Ho Suh: a cottage perched on top of a building, with over half its base hanging off the building.

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Reposted by Meenakshi Wadhwa

Katie Mack @astrokatie.com · 05/08/2025

Every reputable expert I know considers mRNA vaccine technology to be one of the most revolutionary advances in medicine in our lifetimes. Its inventors won the Nobel Prize in 2023. Shutting it down now is pointless self-harm to humanity.

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Meenakshi Wadhwa @minwadhwa.bsky.social · 01/08/2025

Yesterday was my last day as Director @seseasu.bsky.social. I’m proud of what our school community has achieved over the last 6 yrs, building on a trajectory set in motion 19 yrs ago when SESE was founded. I know SESE will achieve greater heights in the coming years — I will be cheering them on!

Group photo with faculty in SESE at ASU.

Group photo with my research group that I’ve worked with over my 19 years at SESE.

Image of the SESE booth at the AGU conference, showing the school banner.

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Meenakshi Wadhwa @minwadhwa.bsky.social · 24/07/2025

OK, so La Jolla sunsets are not so bad… and I can almost trick myself into seeing a green flash in the last image!

A series of 4 photos showing the progression of a sunset over the Pacific Ocean, with silhouettes of palm trees in foreground.

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Meenakshi Wadhwa @minwadhwa.bsky.social · 23/07/2025

One of the many things I will miss about living in Arizona is the sunsets… and this view from our balcony of said sunsets!

Me and my husband with a brilliant sunset behind us.

View of a beautiful sunset (orange clouds in a blue sky) looking out on Tempe Town Lake from the balcony of a building next to the lake.

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Reposted by Meenakshi Wadhwa

Nature @nature.com · 21/07/2025

More than 280 NASA employees past and present, including at least 4 astronauts, have signed a declaration of opposition to the many drastic changes that the US administration is working to enact go.nature.com/44UJqbk

go.nature.com

‘We dissent’: NASA staff declare opposition to Trump cuts

Declaration of dissent, which warns that science and safety are at risk, joins similar documents from staff at the EPA and the NIH.

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Meenakshi Wadhwa @minwadhwa.bsky.social · 18/07/2025

Dear Friends, sharing some news here about my upcoming transition. While I’m sad to be leaving @seseasu.bsky.social after 19 incredible years, I am excited and honored to have the opportunity to contribute to @scrippsocean.bsky.social in the years to come.

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Meenakshi Wadhwa @minwadhwa.bsky.social · 13/07/2025

Recharging with nature-therapy (and friends-therapy!). Absorbing the beauty and tranquility of the Pacific Northwest, exploring the waterways east of Vancouver Island with friends - teaming with natural beauty and wild life (bald eagles, whales, sea lions!)!

View from the bow of a boat of blue water and mountains in the distance

Me and my husband sitting at a table on the boat, with blue skies and water in the background

A very talk and old (>900 years) cedar tree in a forest in the Pacific Northwest

View from a harbor at sunset, with some sailboats on the water in foreground and tree-covered hills in the backdrop

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Meenakshi Wadhwa @minwadhwa.bsky.social · 05/07/2025

Reminded that “America the Beautiful” was inspired by the beauty of the Colorado Rockies. More important than ever to be reminded of all that is precious and beautiful about this country that I have chosen as my own — happy Independence Day weekend!

My husband and I in hiking gear, standing in an alpine meadow, with mountains in the backdrop.

Me, my husband and two other friends on a hiking trail with mountains (Colorado Rockies) in the background.

Partly frozen over Alpine lake (Divide Lake) in the foreground and mountains streaked with snow in the backdrop.

Clear Alpine lake in the foreground with reflection of clouds and mountains.

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Meenakshi Wadhwa @minwadhwa.bsky.social · 22/06/2025

Fun article in July issue of @arizonahighways (www.arizonahighways.com/article/mart...) by Matt Jaffe. Matt is an incredible writer, who recently also wrote this profile of @uarizona’s Michael Kotutwa Johnson @kotutwa that I found very moving - check it out: www.arizonahighways.com/article/mich...

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Meenakshi Wadhwa @minwadhwa.bsky.social · 31/05/2025

Picture perfect day for taking in a ballgame at Wrigley Field (Chicago Cubs vs Cincinnati Reds) with family! And Cubbies won!!

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Meenakshi Wadhwa @minwadhwa.bsky.social · 23/05/2025

Celebrated the 50th anniversary of the McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences at Washington University this week. Great to be back in my old stomping grounds with old friends from the 4th floor of Compton Hall!

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Marshall Shepherd @drshepherd2013.bsky.social · 17/05/2025

Dust storm or Haboob in Chicago. Yep Chicago. My analysis...Whew, crazy weather Friday www.forbes.com/sites/marsha...

forbes.com

A Dust Storm In Chicago? - Here’s What We Know From Experts

A major dust storm impacted Chicago, Illinois on Friday. Here's what we know right now.

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